The unusual award Lionel Messi could win for the first time in his 20-year career

Lionel Messi has won pretty much everything there is to win in football, but there is one award that he might be about to win for the very first time.

Over a 20-year career spent playing for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina, Messi has won countless team and individual accolades.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has four Champions League winners' medals in his collection, and in 2022 filled the World Cup-shaped gap on his CV by captaining Argentina to World Cup glory.

However, the 36-year-old could be about to add a unique title to his legacy.

Messi has been nominated for a prize at the ESLAND awards, organised by Spanish YouTuber and streamer TheGrefg for the community of Spanish-speaking content creators.

The Inter Miami star has been nominated under the "anger of the year" category following a clash he had with YouTuber and streamer Ibai Llanos just moments after he won his eighth Ballon d'Or.

After collecting his award, Messi was interviewed by Llanos and accused him of reading out a private message on a stream he sent him via Instagram.

"I'm angry with you, I didn't like what you did the other day," Messi said.

Getty Images)

Llanos tried to assure Messi that he didn't share the message, but Messi laughed: "I'll keep an eye on you next time.”

The clip has earned Messi a nomination for the "anger of the year" award, with the winner set to be announced at a Gala held across February 17 and 18.

Messi is just one of several high profile players who have built up relationships with YouTubers and streamers in recent years.

His close friend and former Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero has turned to the world of streaming and Twitch since he retired from playing in 2021.

Messi is preparing for his fist full season with Inter Miami, after he joined the MLS club last summer. He guided the side to the inaugural Leagues Cup title, but will be aiming to improve in the league after David Beckham's franchise failed to qualify for the 2023 play-offs.

Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Argentina, Ballon d'Or

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton